Final answer:
The statement is false; rods and cones are in the retina of the eye responsible for vision, not the cochlea which is part of the auditory system and contains hair cells for hearing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'The rods and cones of the cochlea are stimulated by fluid, resulting in nerve messages' is false. The cochlea is involved in hearing and does not contain rods and cones; it has hair cells that are stimulated by fluid movements to send auditory signals to the brain. Rods and cones are photoreceptor cells found in the retina of the eye, with rods responsible for vision in low light and cones responsible for color vision and fine detail. Both these structures are distinct and serve different sensory functions, with the cochlea being part of the auditory system and the rods and cones being part of the visual system.